


(not quite a) john hughes moment

by rckbell



Series: ed/winry - alternative universes [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, High School, Prom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-22 14:59:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3733183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rckbell/pseuds/rckbell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>edward spontaneously (but what that he does is not spontaneous come on) asks winry to prom; hilarity and most certain embarrassment ensue (naturally). alternative universe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(not quite a) john hughes moment

It’s stupid, really. Al will shake his head profusely; arguing, it just wasn’t the most premeditated or well-executed move, Brother!

Ed grips the steering wheel tight; knuckles whitening at the stretch and muscles yelling at the strain but the snag of his teeth on his lip distract him from his hands.

It wasn’t like it could be prevented; Winry always labeled him ‘too impulsive with a mouth to match!’, resulting in a wrench flying in his direction. Al phrased it slightly more forgivingly (or maybe it was the less hostile tone, but that’s how he and Winry always were), as just ‘spontaneous when opportunities present themselves’.

Ed grimaces; whatever the hell he is, it’s sure inconvenient sometimes. Yeah, sure, sometimes it’ll get him out of a sticky spot or save him from an extenential crisis or two, but after what just happened? He’s more inclined to put away this impetuous habit of his for good.

For crying out loud, he didn’t even know where it came from. Either of it; his feelings for Winry or his rash, convoluted actions.

One minute he’s pacing across the parking lot to his pickup, zipping up his hoodie against the April air that hasn’t quite broken spring yet and the next he’s paused right in his tracks when he catches wind of that idiot foreign exchange student.

“…yes, yes, well actually, in Xing, we don’t have a ‘prom’, but rather a gala of sorts. Huge, spacious ballrooms, delectable cuisines, imported champagne, and all the women dress in the most beautiful traditional gowns. Oh, I’m sure you’d put them all to shame!”

Ed snorts (that moron, thinking lines like that’ll actually work?), fumbling for his keys and resuming his route to his parking spot before he hears the unmistakably familiar giggle he’s known forever.

He almost growls when he twists around and unsurprisingly locks onto Ling, that bastard, leaning against Winry’s hatchback a few rows back as she waves him off dismissively, but the slight blush springing on her cheeks is accredited less to the frigid air than he’s comfortable with.

Winry ‘hmpf!’s; rolling her eyes and flapping her hand in a gesture of disbelieving humbleness. “Oh, please, Ling! That’s ridiculous; our dingy little prom wouldn’t hold up against such a thing, and neither would I against your women! They’re all so exotic and elegant!”

Now it’s Ling’s turn to rebuff. He lifts with an uproar of chuckles; tossing his head back and shaking it slightly and allowing himself to locate Ed sulking further in the parking lot.

Ed didn’t even think it was possible for the damned smirk to get cockier, but he knows Ling knows; hell, everyone knows and everyone takes every damn opportunity to make Ed (slightly) regret his (pathetic) crush. Or rather, regret his apparent and absolute resolve to not let Winry Rockbell find out he has a crush (is that even the right terminology? It certainly feels more meaningful than a high school crush) on her. Ever. Under any circumstances.

But, damn, it’s sure come close.

And Ling is about to make sure that it comes even closer, much to Ed’s chargin.

“Winry, my dear Winry, you are far too modest! You may think Xingese women are exotic, but they are far too familiar to me. Now you are a foreign beauty; simply bold and captivating and radiating. You would look stunning in any attire, and in any setting. And any man would agree.” Ling cooes in that prick voice that makes bile rise in Ed’s throat. Ling taps his chin and surveys the lot, but it’s all a ruse; he already has his target.

He glances to Ed once again; this time more pronounced and assured. His arms gesture in the blond’s direction and he ‘ahh!’s in delight. Winry follows his gaze and smiles at her friend with those bright sapphire eyes. Ed feels a pang of something when she looks at him and offers a quick smirk back before glowering at Ling as he starts off again.

“Ed! Wouldn’t you agree that Winry here is divine, gorgeous, and charming? Why, she’s the most enchanting woman I ever had the pleasure of meeting, wouldn’t you say? Don’t you think the man who gets to accompany her to any party, gala, or even prom is one to be envied?”

The reaction is instantaneous; Winry begins coughing on her words, Ed spatters out loose elements, and both spring a blush that is in no way affiliated with the unseasonably cold April weather. Both refuse to look in remotely the other’s direction and the tension is so thick, other students actually avoid the area.

Before either one can manage a comprehensible response, Ling shifts his attention back to the blonde girl attempting to calm herself down. “And speaking of this ‘prom…”

From the haze of denial surrounding Ed’s brain, that little comment peaks through. He feels his throat catch and he glares at the pair across the rows.

“I was actually thinking…”

Ling scoots closer to Winry, who has calmed down enough to study him carefully. Her expression is unreadable and that panics Ed.

“If you’d allow me…”

Ed realizes what the Xingese teen is doing at the last second, and in an instant an armada of emotions (very prominently: jealousy) flash through him and worry tickles his spine at the very real possibility that Winry would actually go to prom with this guy.

“To accompany you to…”

Nononononohellfuckingno. To let that sleazy, slimeball prince even dance with Winry in that crowded ballroom… there’s no way. Absolutely not. There is no way he’s going to let this happen. That’s his girl, damnit, his Winry, and no one is going to be dancing with her except him.

“Winry!”

She doesn’t even hesitate; her attention flies to Ed (there’s that damn pang in his chest again) as does Ling, who goes quiet. Hell, everything goes fucking silent except Ed, of course.

“Go to prom with me!” He shouts, or maybe it isn’t even shouting but it’s so damn quiet he may as well be.

For a brutal second it’s all just stares and Ed’s bravery melts away and the uncertainty sweeps away. Winry stares at him incredulously (unreadable, still) and Ling eyes him almost amusedly, with that damn stupid smirk. He feels the sheer nonsensical, hairbrained nature of what just happened (was it even a question, or a statement? He was trying to make it sound like a John Hughes movie, but really now) and he’s about to beeline back to his car before Winry does the unthinkable; she bursts out in laughter.

Now it’s Ed turn to glare dubiously at her as she holds her stomach, not even attempting to hold back the chime of giggles escaping her. He blinks at her nervously, and for a second he’s unable to breath. If Winry were to turn him down for the sheer absurdity (and apparent hilarity) of him promposal, he isn’t sure he can handle it.

Regardless, (he kicks himself for it) he notes how pretty she looks when she laughs.

But that’s when he really panics, and before Winry can stop laughing (at him), he’s sprinting across the lot and slamming the door to his car.

And here he is now, worrying endlessly about the idiot move he just made and harboring intense hatred for everything, everything, everything (mostly Ling). He’s so busy cursing under muffled breath, he almost misses his phone buzz in the cupholder.

His eyes dart to the ID - guess who? - and be it beyond himself to understand (or his quickening heart rate and cold sweat), but he quickly opens the text waiting at a light.

 

From Winry:

You idiot! Pick me up at three on Saturday and we’ll go look for a pair of shoes - flats - that won’t make me taller than you, okay?

He blinks slowly at the message for much longer than necessary for someone who is literate until a horn blows behind him and he impulsively tosses the phone aside and resumes driving. It takes him until the next light to fully function enough to decode the text.

Did she… say yes?

It dawns on him that ,yes, while insulting his height - he growls instinctively at that one - Winry has not so inadvertently agreed to go to prom. With him.

Not with Ling. Not with any other backwards, undeserving, slimy skeeze. Him.

He’s going to prom with Winry Rockbell.

He snorts obnoxiously and the dopey grin the unable to disappear until he realizes, again.

He’s going to prom with Winry Rockbell.

His steering wheel makes a beautiful dent in his forehead, leaving a bruise to match the terror of Winry’s wrench.

Somewhere, Ling’s lost a bet, Al is twenty bucks richer, Winry is blissfully shopping for dresses and a confession (finally, please!) , and Ed is halfway between panic and uncertain joy.

Mostly joy, though, has his not-so-John-Hughes moment given him.


End file.
